PCOS

[kate_turner2000]

Hi all took deb's advice and started a thread about PCOS. i have been a sufferer for years and it went undiagnosed. i basically diagnosed myself and went to the dr's. he shrugged it off until i demanded some blood tests to check my hormones levels. BINGO! high levels of testosterone. i was sent to a specialist who put me on metformin- that made me very ill. 2 months later i went back to see my specialist and we decided to take me off metformin. was told that i wouldnt be able to have kids without fertility treatment (i had been having unprotected censored for 9 months and nothing had happened). after that visit it was 2 weeks later when i found out i was pregnant my GP was shocked and said that it goes to show that there is hope for PCOS sufferers. The symptoms i had that led my to believe i had PCOS was excessive hair-still have it! bad skin (my teens were shocking i hated showing my face at school), headaches, bad period pain and PMS and my weight problem. after having my daughter the period pain each month isnt AS bad as before. but i still ahev the other symptoms. i get sick of PCOS sufferers compalining that they cant lose weight and use it as an excuse. my weightloss is evident that pcos sufferers can lose weight. sure it would be an extra hurdle having it, but it is possible. and the upside is the more wieght you do lose the better your pcos is

[slimmindown]

Well I started off with endometriosis at 17 and dysplasia cells on my cervix tha ti had removed. Had 6 monthly pap smears till I was in my mid 20's and have always suffered from terrible period pain and PMS to the max x 10
I was diagnosed with PCOS about 8 yrs ago and have had surgery for it called the "golf ball method" where the gynae poked lots of little holes into my ovary to try and release some of the ova that have built up in there. It was pretty successful,to help combat some of the pain.
I opted not to try metformin as it can give you tummy upsets and my tummy doesnt need any further stirring up , so found this method the best for me.

[Groovychic]

Geez I do feel sorry for you guys. I get cysts on my ovaries but they are only one at a time, so no PCOS. But the pain is horrid. Bad period pain as well but I've been taking the pill again and it has helped with that. Plus no cysts cos I aint releasing any eggs! But it hasnt helped the heavy bleeding or the bleeding between periods so I am gonna go and plead for a hysterectomy. The doc mentioned last time I seen him that I should think about it but I wasnt ready a few months ago. After the last lot of bleeding between periods a few weeks ago I thought bugger it, time to go for it. Plus I have no censored drive what so ever. Much to Frank's disgust!!! It aint too great for the relationship. Poor bugger needs it a few times a week and he aint getting it hardly at all. So he is a grumpy old ba$tard a lot of the time.

[kate_turner2000]

lol can definately relate to the censored drive thing! im glad condoms have a use by date haha

[EmilyP]

Hi again

I found out i had pcos when we were trying to have baby number 2, and nothing was happening
I went to the dr and she did some tests and told me i had pcos.
(I knew i had cysts, as they found a few when on the ultrasounds from my son a few years earlier, but didn't think anything of them)
At that time i weighed 108kgs! the dr said if i lost weight it MAY increase my chances but pcos sufferers generally have infertility probs. I managed to drop down to 98kgs and found out i was pregnant with DD! Thankfully i lost weight still through the pregnancy and she was still healthy. But of course i managed to put it all back on and then some. Mainly due to a bit of PND that i didn't really know i had. But have since got help for that and i feel better & more motivated to keep going!

A couple of months ago my dr suggested i try metformin, and it havent had any probs with it so far, however i havent been taking it reguarly I forget often and the tablets are huge! i have a hard time getting them down because im a sook lol But i have managed to behave the last few days and remember and get them down. Then, a few weeks ago i went for some more tests and the dr told me i have type 2 diabetes, mainly due to the pcos. It wont go away but it can be managaged by diet and exercise and that has alos hepled me get my butt back into gear, i definately done want any of these probs to get any worse.

sorry for that long post!

[kate_turner2000]

Hi em
thanks for sharing with us. the specialist explained something to me about the effects of the insulin when you have pcos but i wasnt taking any notice damn! lol. hope everything turns out ok for you in the future!

[Ally]

I don't have PCOS, but I can sure relate to the extremely painful periods!! Every month it is a lottery as to whether I am going to get a lot of pain and shedding or just the extreme pain and a lot of bleeding!! Not nice, so I can relate to the painful issues for sure!!

[Simmy]

Thanks for sharing your experiences. This post has come at a good time as I am getting tested for PCOS next Wed. One thing the doc didn't tell me was HOW it is done. I pressumed a blood test, but then my mum said she thinks its more like a pap smear. So I decided since Im long overdue ill do them both at once. Anyway it'd be great if someone remembers what the test involves.

[kate_turner2000]

hi simmy

first off they did bloods for me to check hormone levels and then i was sent to a specialist (ob/gyn) and then where he did a pap smear because it was my very first one (i was 18) and an internal - just felt around up there! but sometimes they will do a vaginal u/s.

[Simmy]

Thanks Kate. Maybe I shouldnt have the pap smear on Wed then. I dont want to have it done then a week later get sent somewhere else to have a similiar thing done. Although I can no longer put off a pap smear, and u/s would be much better than an internal exam! What a confusing test though, I could go in an get a blood test, internal exam, or sent off for an u/s. Maybe thats why the doc didnt tell me what it involved. I didn't realise PCOS can affect your fertility, that would devestate me. No point worrying until the test is done anyway.

[EmilyP]

Sometimes they do an internal ultrasound too if the cant pick anything up on the external one

[Simmy]

oh... and dare I ask how the doctor performs an internal ultrasound? Or is that the same as an internal examination?

[EmilyP]

i think its like a little camera they they put inside & have a look around!

[kate_turner2000]

yeah simmy i mentioned the vaginal u/s- it can affect womens fertility for sure. the way it was explained to me was that each month the average woman releases one big egg surrounded by tiny eggs and but with pcos you releases the tiny eggs but not a big egg (to fertilise with sperm). dont worry too much, i have it and i still had a baby

[slimmindown]

I had an internal exam and internal U/S to diagnose mine. The u/s is like a thinish probe that they insert into the vagina, so the u/s waves come from inside up into the pelvic cavity ,it gives them a better look than say a normal pelvic u/s where the probe is placed on your lower tummy. Its a little uncomfortable, but i have had worse things and its over fairly quickly. better to know I guess that you do or dont have it

Hope all goes well Simmy...